The Law: AI performs best when it understands the complete picture. Context isn't background—it's the foundation that shapes everything else.
The Context Hierarchy
Think of context as layers, each adding depth to AI's understanding:
Layer 1 - Situational Context - What's happening now - Why this matters - What led to this point
Layer 2 - Environmental Context - Industry or domain specifics - Cultural considerations - Technical constraints
Layer 3 - Personal Context - Your role and expertise - Your goals and constraints - Your audience's needs
Layer 4 - Historical Context - What's been tried before - What worked or didn't - Lessons learned
Context Loading Patterns
Pattern 1: The Briefing Model ```text SITUATION: Our SaaS startup has plateaued at $2M ARR CHALLENGE: Customer churn is 15% monthly (industry avg: 5%) ATTEMPTS: Tried improving onboarding, added chat support RESOURCES: Team of 12, $$50000 budget for retention initiatives GOAL: Reduce churn to 7% within 90 days NEED: Comprehensive retention strategy with quick wins ```text Pattern 2: The Comparison Model ```text CURRENT STATE: Our blog posts get 500 views average DESIRED STATE: Competitor posts get 5,000 views average ANALYSIS: They use more storytelling, data visualizations OUR CONSTRAINTS: No design team, limited time REQUEST: Strategy to 10× engagement with current resources ```text
The Context Formula
Essential Context Elements: - Background (what led here) - Current state (where we are) - Desired state (where we're going) - Constraints (what limits us) - Success metrics (how we'll measure)
Context in Practice
WITHOUT CONTEXT: "How do I improve employee morale?"
WITH RICH CONTEXT: "I'm a new engineering manager at a 50-person startup. My team of 8 developers has low morale after 3 months of crunch time launching a product that flopped. Two seniors are job hunting. Budget for perks is frozen, but I have flexibility with time, and project allocation. How do I rebuild morale and retain talent within these constraints?"
The difference in response quality is transformational.
The Context Investment
Time spent on context is never wasted. It's an investment that pays dividends in: - Fewer iterations needed - More relevant suggestions - Better aligned outcomes - Reduced frustration - Faster results